Already worrying about the havoc all of the holiday cookies, candies and feasts are going to wreak on your waistline? Never fear: celebrities are here to help! Sure, you know Jane Fonda has a fitness empire, but there are some really, um, expected celebrity fitness videos lurking out there. At the very least, you’ll be entertained while you work out. Here are just a few.
1. Dixie Carter. Yup. Julia Sugarbaker can help you limber up with her “Unworkout.” Even if you’re not into her brand of yoga – check out The Lion below – you have to admit, that southern accent is just so dang charming!
2. Fabio. Maybe this one isn’t much of a surprise, but it’s still awesome. One of the commenters on Amazon says this is the gift that keeps on giving – the same used VHS copy of this tape gets passed around to unsuspecting office members at the holidays every year. I think that’s the perfect use for this video. I might get one just for that purpose – and if you’re looking for one too, you can get it new for just $1.95.
3. Paula Abdul. Her 1995 release Get Up and Dance! was popular enough to be re-released as a DVD in 2005. She also did a cheerleading/cardio workout tape in 2005 geared at teenagers.
4. George Foreman. A grill and an exercise video! What more could a guy ask for? You might expect a video by a boxing champion to involve high-intensity, well, boxing… but you would be wrong. George’s workout is geared more at the everyman and invites you to just “Walk It Off With George!” He does add a little jab here and there, and does something he called “the Foreman Shuffle,” but for the most part he keeps it pretty low key.
5. Estelle Getty. I love Estelle Getty. I was thinking that if the Golden Girls made an exercise video, I’d buy it in a heartbeat… and then I discovered Estelle’s video. Awesome.
6. Regis Philbin. There’s no doubt about it – for a guy pushing 80, Regis looks amazing. And he wants you to know how he did it! I think this 1993 gem is notable for the guest appearances alone (Joy, Kathie Lee, AND Gelman!).
7. Traci Lords. I know what you’re thinking, but I swear it’s legit… Warm Up With Traci Lords is not a porn title. Bonus: she raps during the video to keep you motivated. Because I’m sure that’s what people who bought the Traci Lords exercise video are waiting for… rapping.
8. Celebrity Parents. Richard Simmons put out a video called “Richard Simmons & The Silver Foxes,” geared, of course, at the older set. His guinea pigs? Celebrity parents. Among the illustrious parents are Sylvester Stallone’s mom, Dustin Hoffman’s dad, Al Pacino’s dad and Farrah Fawcett’s mom. I’d watch just to guess who’s who.
9. Zsa Zsa Gabor. When you’re Zsa Zsa, you don’t actually have to work out. You just hire muscley guys in tank tops to move your body around in various exercise positions for you while you purr “Dahhhhling,” like so:
10. Chuck Norris. Who wouldn’t buy a Chuck Norris exercise video? Chuck Norris’ Private Lesson aims to teach basic self-defense techniques, take you through a cardio-karate workout, and then show you how badass Chuck Norris is by watching him demonstrate some super cool moves that you couldn’t possibly even attempt. But all kidding aside, it apparently did get rave reviews – people say it’s truly an excellent way to learn some self-defense from a great teacher.
Has anyone succumbed to the allure of the celebrity workout? Tell us which ones – and if they were any good – in the comments.
